Healthy Living

How To Make The Perfect Quinoa

Quinoa is the grain that dare not speak its name. Mainly because no one's really sure how to pronounce it.

But despite that awkward moment when you called it 'kin-noah' instead of 'keen-wa', the healthy wheat-free grain is all the rage right now.

Health experts hail quinoa as a healthier alternative to rice, couscous and bulgur wheat - and rightly so. It has twice the protein content of rice and barley, as well as being a good source of calcium and magnesium to boot.

Add to that the fact that it contains all nine essential amino acids, this makes it a complete-protein source, which means it's a top choice for vegans who find it difficult to pack enough proteins into their diets.

When cooked, quinoa should be fluffy and creamy, but with a nutty flavour and slight crunch. This is what it should taste like at least - but it's tricky to get it just right. Fortunately, you need look no further for how to make the perfect quinoa, as Kevin Kusinski reveals all in the above video.

It couldn't be much easier - all you need to do is rinse the quinoa first using a colander. The smaller the holes the better, so that none is wasted. For every cup of quinoa you're cooking, you'll need two cups of liquid; you can boil in water, or use stock to give it more flavour.

After boiling the liquid, add it to the quinoa, give it a stir, and then put a lid on it for 12-15 minutes and don't peek.

Not only is it a great healthy alternative to other grains, but quinoa will last in the fridge for up to a week before it spoils, so you can cook up a batch and use it in your meals throughout the week.